Texas Beats Toronto, Holds On To AHL’s Top Spot
Feb 12, 2013STARS WEEKLY (WEEK 19)
Stars Have Three-Game South Division Home Stand
2012-13 Record: 28-13-4-3, 63 points (12-6-2-2 Home, 16-7-2-1 Road), First Place – South Division
Week 18 Recap:
The Stars drove over a couple speed bumps in Week 18, but still found a way to maintain their first place overall position in the American Hockey League standings. Texas began the week with a four-goal first period on Tuesday night against Rockford to take a 4-1 lead. But the IceHogs chipped away with two goals in the second period and one in the third to force overtime, before outlasting the Stars in a marathon 11-round shootout. Arriving in Ontario during a snow storm, Texas out-shot the Hamilton Bulldogs 30-14 through the first two periods of play Saturday night at Copps Coliseum, but the score was level at one. The Stars took the lead with a second period goal from Luke Gazdic, but during a delayed penalty, Alex Chiasson’s pass from behind the Bulldogs goal line hopped over the stick of Carl Sneep at the blue line and slid almost 200-feet into the empty Texas net. Hamilton scored late in the third period to shock the Stars and win 2-1. Texas rallied on Sunday afternoon as they shrugged off an early Toronto goal with goals from Chiasson, Justin Dowling and Mike Hedden to beat the Marliles 3-2 at Ricoh Coliseum
Center Antoine Roussel returned from his first regular season stint with Dallas, playing in his first five NHL games and even scored his first NHL goal on his first shot of the game on February 1st vs. Phoenix. His Texas return was very brief as Dallas recalled him on Monday in lieu of their Tuesday night road game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Week 19 Preview:
The Stars have a three-game home stand on the schedule this week as they battle two South Division foes. Texas welcomes the Houston Aeros on Tuesday, February 12th for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff at Cedar Park Center. The Stars will then host the Oklahoma City Barons for a two-game weekend series on Friday, February 15th at 7:30 p.m and Saturday, February 16th at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday night’s game is another H-E-B night, Friday’s game is a Texas Lottery Lucky Row Night, a $3 Beer Night and the third Texas Stars Player Magnet Giveaway, while Saturday’s game is a Family Four Pack Night and the New Braunfels Gym Bag Giveaway.
Left wing Alex Chiasson is tied for second on the team in points (27) and goals (12) and has six points (1 goal, 5 assists and a +2 rating in his last five games. Center Justin Dowling leads the team in shooting percentage (25.0%), is tied for the team lead in game-winning goals (3) and has five points (4 goals, 1 assist) and a +3 rating in his last five games. Left wing Mike Hedden has five points (1 goal, 4 assists) and a +3 rating in his last four games. Left wing Matt Fraser leads the team in goals (22), points (33), and power play goals (11), is tied for the team lead in plus-minus (+12) and has five points (2 goals, 3 assist) and a +2 rating in his last five games.
Week 18 Schedule:
(All games are broadcast LIVE over the Internet at www.TexasStarsHockey.com and the free Radio tab of www.ahllive.com and can be viewed via internet pay-per-view video on www.ahllive.com. All times listed in Central Time)
Tuesday, February 12 – 7:30 p.m. – Cedar Park Center – Cedar Park, TX
vs. Houston Aeros (24-18-4-3, 55 pts.)
Third Place, South Division
• Team Notes: Houston will face Texas for the tenth time this season, but has lost the last four straight games to the Stars. The Aeros went 2-1-0-0 last week and have gone 6-4-0-0 in their last ten games. Houston was blanked 2-0 at Grand Rapids last Wednesday, but responded with a 5-2 win Friday at Milwaukee as goalie Matt Hackett recorded his first win in his last eight starts. The Aeros won their second straight game last Saturday at Rockford as rookie goalie Darcy Kuemper blanked the IceHogs 2-0. Kuemper is 5-2-0 with two shutouts in his last seven starts and he ranks second overall in the AHL in goals-against average (1.79) and save percentage (0.938). Houston will play four games in the next seven days, facing Texas on Tuesday, then traveling to Rochester on Friday, at Hamilton on Saturday and at Toronto on Monday. The Aeros currently sit in sixth place in the playoff standings, but are tied for the most games played (49) in the entire Western Conference. Houston has the 9th best power play rating (18.2%), but the 27th best penalty kill rating (79.8%).
• Leading Scorer: Jason Zucker (LW) – 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) and -8 in 45 GP.
• Leading Goaltender: Darcy Kuemper (G) – 1.79 GAA, 0.938 save pct., 10-7-0, 4 SO in 16 GP.
• Who’s Hot: RW Justin Fontaine – Ranks second on the team in points (31), is tied for second in assists (20) and has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) and a +4 rating in his last five games. LW Jason Zucker – Leads the team in goals (19), assists (22) and points (41) and has four points (2 goals, 2 assists and a +2 rating in his last four games. RW Johan Larsson – Is third on the team in goals (13) and points (27) and has three points (1 goal, 2 assists) and a +1 rating in his last four games.
Friday, February 15 – 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, February 16 – 7:00 p.m.
Cedar Park Center – Cedar Park, TX– Cedar Park Center – Cedar Park, TX
vs. Oklahoma City Barons (23-18-2-4, 52 pts.)
Fourth Place, South Division
• Team Notes: Oklahoma City has won three straight games, and four-of-five, sitting in ninth place in the Western Conference, just one point out of the final playoff spot. The Barons struggled post-lockout, losing massive stars Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz and Taylor Hall to the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Oklahoma City has bolstered its lineup recently, adding former Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy winner Jonathan Cheechoo and NHL veteran defensemen Brett Clark and Randy Jones. Those acquisitions, along with some offensive contributions from young prospects Toni Rajala and Philippe Cornet have helped the Barons continue to lead the AHL with a 24.2% power play rating. However, Oklahoma City ranks last in both penalty kill (76.4%) and goals-allowed average (3.32). The Barons have just two games this week, both against Texans and will play the Stars in four of their next six games; three of those four will be at Cedar Park Center. Oklahoma City added currently have three goaltenders on their roster: Yann Danis, Olivier Roy and 24-year old Helsiki, Finland native Niko Hovinen, who is listed at 6’7” 200 lbs and has won his first two career AHL starts. Hovinen was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia by Edmonton and was assigned to the Barons after starting the year with the Trenton Titans (ECHL).
• Leading Scorer: Mark Arcobello (C) – 43 points (14 goals, 29 assists) and -6 in 45 GP.
• Leading Goaltender: Yann Danis (G) – 3.06 GAA, 0.903 save pct., 14-12-3, 0 SO in 29 GP.
• Who’s Hot: Jonathan Cheechoo (RW) – Has 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) and a +6 rating in his last five games. Mark Arcobello (C) – Is the team’s active leader in points (43) and assists (29) and has ten points (3 goals, 7 assists) and a +6 rating in his last five games. Philippe Cornet (LW) – Has nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) and a +5 rating in his last five games. Brett Clark (D) – Has seven assists in his last six games.
Week 18 Game Results:
February 5, 2013 Rockford 5 @ Texas 4 – SO (11 Rounds)
February 9, 2013 Texas 1 @ Hamilton 2
February 10, 2013 Texas 3 @ Toronto 2
Stars Player of the Week: (Week 18)
Alex Chiasson – RW – #29 3 GP, 4 points (1 G, 3 A), Even, 4 PIMs
Stars rookie right wing Alex Chiasson’s stock continues to rise as his point total grows. The St. Augustin, Quebec native had a team-leading four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in three games of Week 18. He had an assist in a 5-4 shootout loss on Tuesday vs. Rockford, but shined on Sunday at Toronto, with a three-point game (1 goal, 2 assists) and was named the game’s first star in a 3-2 win over the Marlies. Chiasson now has 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 44 games for Texas this season, which puts him in a tie with Reilly Smith for second on the team and he is tied for 11th in points amongst all AHL rookies.
Stars Quick Hits:
• FRASER SETS RECORDS – Left wing Matt Fraser had a goal and an assist on Tuesday vs. Rockford and set new Texas Stars team records for longest point streak (11 games) and longest assist streak (7) games. Fraser tallied 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists) during the record-setting point streak.
• STREAKS SNAPPED – The Stars’ 5-4 shootout loss to Rockford on Tuesday ended the club’s six-game home winning streak, but extended their home point-streak to seven games (6-0-0-1, 13 points). Texas’ 2-1 loss at Hamilton snapped the team’s seven-game point streak, with just the second regulation loss in 2013 for the Stars. Matt Fraser and Colton Sceviour were both held without a point, ending Fraser’s 11-game point streak and seven-game assist streak and Sceviour’s six-game point streak.
• MARATHON SHOOTOUT – Texas endured its longest shootout of the 2012-13 season, going to 11 rounds in a 5-4 loss to Rockford last Tuesday at Cedar Park Center. The Stars have also battled in a ten-round shootout at Peoria and two nine-round shootouts with the Charlotte Checkers. In six total shootouts in this season, Texas has played in a total of 48 shootout rounds and has a 3-3 record.
• QUICK STRIKES – Center Toby Petersen scored the fastest goal to open a game by the Stars in the 2012-13 season when he lit the lamp 1:11 into the first period on Tuesday night vs. Rockford. During the same game IceHogs defenseman Joe Lavin scored 61 seconds into the third period, registering the fastest goal allowed by the Stars to open a period this year.
• LEADING AFTER TWO PERIODS – Texas had its first blemish when leading after two periods on Tuesday in a 5-4 shootout loss. However, the Stars improved to 20-0-0-1 when carrying the lead into the third period when they beat the Toronto Marlies 3-2 on Sunday.
• EMPTY NET IN THE SECOND PERIOD? – In one of the flukiest goals in Texas Stars history, the Hamilton Bulldogs were credited with an empty net goal in the second period of Saturday’s game when an errant pass during a delayed penalty went all the way down the ice and into the vacant Texas net. Jason DeSantis was credited with the goal at 14:32 of the second period. The Stars ended up losing the game 2-1 to Hamilton.
• A BLEMISH – The Stars suffered their first regulation loss when scoring the first goal of the game in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Hamilton. Texas is now 12-1-0-2 when scoring first.
• COMEBACK KIDS – Texas continued a remarkable trend of winning games when allowing the first goal against. The Stars overcame an early first period goal by Toronto captain Ryan Hamilton and beat the Marlies 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Ricoh Coliseum. Texas is now 15-12-4-1 (a 0.547 point percentage) when giving up the game’s first goal.
• THE CENTURY MARK – Center Justin Dowling played in his 100th career pro game last Tuesday against Rockford. Dowling has 85 points (27 goals, 58 assists) in 102 career pro games, including 42 in the AHL for Abbotsford and Texas.
• APPROACHING STARS MILESTONES: D Gord Baldwin had an assist Sunday at Toronto to record his 50th career AHL point; Baldwin needs 3 GP to reach his 250th career AHL game. D Maxime Fortunus’ next game will be his 550th career AHL game. D Tyler Sloan’s next game will be his 600th career pro game; Sloan needs 5 GP to reach his 400th career AHL game. C Antoine Roussel is 4 GP away from his 150th career AHL game. C Toby Petersen is 6 GP shy of his 900th career pro game and 10 GP shy of his 500th career AHL game. LW Luke Gazdic is 7 GP away from his 250th career pro game. LW Francis Wathier is 7 GP short of his 450th career pro game and 4 assists shy of his 100th career pro assist.
Affiliate News:
Dallas Stars (NHL) – Dallas is 6-5-1 (13 points) in 12 games and is third in the Pacific Division. The Stars have won three straight games and have enjoyed a rare three-day stretch without a game. Dallas will get back to action on the road as they play four games in six days, beginning Tuesday night with an 8:30 p.m. CST faceoff with the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. On Monday Jamie Benn was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week after recording six points (4 goals, 2 assists), including two game-winning goals, in three games. Nine players who began the season in the AHL with Texas have now played NHL games for the parent club this year and currently six of those players (Cody Eakin, Brenden Dillon, Antoine Roussel, Tomas Vincour, Reilly Smith and Jamie Oleksiak) are with Dallas. Jaromir Jagr leads the Stars with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists).
Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) – Idaho is 31-13-1-4 (67 points) in 49 games, they are second in the Mountain Division and are closing in on being the third ECHL team to clinch a playoff spot. The Steelheads took three-of-four last week from the Utah Grizzlies and are 7-3-0-0 in their last ten games. In a dominant 6-0 win at Utah on Sunday, Idaho was led by Tristan King’s five-point performance (2 goals, 3 assists), while defenseman Jace Coyle chipped in three assists in the game. The Steelheads’ potent power play continues to roll, currently ranked 2nd overall in the ECHL at 23.7%, just 0.1% behind the Colorado Eagles (23.8%). Idaho leads the league with an average of 3.96 goals per game. Justin Dowling (13-33-46) continues to lead the team in points, even though he has been with Texas in the AHL for the last month. King (17-17-34) is Idaho’s active leader in points. The Steelheads will play a grueling five games in six days this week: hosting San Francisco on Tuesday and Wednesday, then traveling to Las Vegas on Friday, facing the Ontario Reign on Saturday and then back to Vegas for the Wranglers annual midnight game which starts at 11:59 p.m. PST Sunday night.
Stars Week 18 Transactions
February 12 – ADD – Bretton Cameron (RW) – Signed PTO, called up from Greenville (ECHL)
February 11 – DELETE – Antoine Roussel (C) – Recalled from loan by Dallas (NHL).
February 9 – ADD – Antoine Roussel (C) – Returned on loan from Dallas (NHL).
February 5 – DELETE – Tyler Beskorowany (G) – Reassigned by Dallas (NHL) to Idaho (ECHL).
Texas Stars Team Leaders:
Games Played: Maxime Fortunus & Matt Fraser (48)
Goals: Matt Fraser (22)
Assists: Jamie Oleksiak (20)
Points: Matt Fraser (33)
Plus/Minus: Matt Fraser & Patrik Nemeth (+12)
Penalty Minutes: Antoine Roussel (107)
Power Play Goals: Matt Fraser (11)
Short Handed Goals: Cody Eakin & Colton Sceviour (2)
Game-Winning Goals: Jordie Benn, Justin Dowling, Matt Fraser & Colton Sceviour (3)
Shots: Matt Fraser (140)
Shooting Percentage: Justin Dowling (25.0%)
Saves: Cristopher Nilstorp (640)
Wins: Cristopher Nilstorp (17)
GAA: Cristopher Nilstorp (2.21)
Save Percentage: Richard Bachman (0.916)
Shutouts: Cristopher Nilstorp (4)
The Stars open a three-game home stand tonight as they host the Houston Aeros for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff at Cedar Park Center. Pro-rated full and partial 2012-13 season seat packages are on sale now. For more information on Texas Stars season tickets call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit www.TexasStarsHockey.com.